MIKESTANIFORTH

An AI film by Mike Staniforth

Rome.
Inside a painting.

An empty square. An open doorway.
The same place, waiting on the wall.

Travel from sunlit Rome into the Pantheon, then enter a painting of the square you’ve just left. Get five portrait reference frames, a creative starting prompt and a guide to making your own journey.

Made with Morphic

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20-second film
A journey from modern Rome into Caffi’s painting. Film by Mike Staniforth, made with Morphic. The painting’s placement inside the Pantheon is fictional.

Make your own loop.

Free reference kit · Five 9:16 images, prompt + guide

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Ippolito Caffi’s original view of Piazza del Pantheon, with people in the square and the two historic bell towers
View of Piazza del Pantheon, Ippolito Caffi, 1837. Museo di Roma collection.

The painting is real

Keep Caffi.
Extend the frame.

The painted destination begins with Ippolito Caffi’s 1837 view of the Pantheon. His original composition stays intact, including the people in the square and the two historic bell towers.

Only the sky and foreground paving are extended to create the tall 9:16 canvas. The contemporary exterior is a separate photoreal AI interpretation: empty streets, warm Roman light, and the same landmarks to guide the return.

Follow the water.
Find the painting.

Move close to the fountain, cross the square and travel through the open bronze doors. Across the Rotonda, a gilded frame holds the place we’ve just come from.

For this imagined journey, the portrait painting hangs inside the Pantheon. That placement is fictional. Use the reference frames to plan a readable route before building the transitions.

Photoreal AI reference close-up of carved stone and running water at the Pantheon fountain
The fountain. A close view to begin the journey.
The portrait extension of Caffi’s real painting in a gilt frame, fictionally placed on a marble wall inside the Pantheon
The return. A fictional hanging inside the Pantheon.

Inside the download

The square. The doorway.
The return.

  1. 01 / FIVE PORTRAIT IMAGES

    The reference frames

    The photoreal exterior, fountain close-up, open bronze doorway, painting on the wall and Caffi’s painting extended to 9:16. Each frame anchors a different part of the journey.

  2. 02 / TEXT

    A creative starting prompt

    A direction for moving from the square into the Pantheon and back through the painting. Adapt the camera route, timing and transitions to your own interpretation.

  3. 03 / GUIDE

    The loop setup

    How to use the reference frames, preserve the original artwork and plan the return. Includes the original sources, credits and practical checks before finishing.

A reference pack for an image-to-video workflow. The film plays above; the download contains five reference stills, a starting prompt and a guide. You’ll need your own access to the generation tool; credits and software aren’t included. AI results vary. Review architecture, water, camera continuity and the return to your first frame.

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Your email & the kit

Mike Staniforth Film Ltd uses your email to record your download request. Your signup includes the filmmaking tools, breakdowns, updates and offers you request by ticking the checkbox. Emails are handled through MailerLite; you can unsubscribe at any time and keep the kit.

For access or removal requests, email mike@mikestaniforth.com. Company no. 10636076.

Original artwork: View of Piazza del Pantheon, Ippolito Caffi, 1837, Museo di Roma. Museum record. The portrait version retains the original painting and adds AI-generated sky and paving. The interior placement is fictional, and the other reference frames are AI interpretations.

Exterior photographic reference: Nicholas Hartmann, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Full image sources, credits and licence details are included in the kit.